The European turtle dove has been listed as a vulnerable species on the European Red List of Birds, which could trigger a revision of national spring hunting regulations.

Turtle doves – gamiem – were previously considered a species of “least concern” but have been reclassified as “vulnerable” in view of population declines of 30 to 49 per cent across Europe in the last 16 years, or three generations.

‘Vulnerable’ is the first of three categories for species threatened with extinction according to criteria drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its Red List, funded by the European Commission, is widely recognised as the most authoritative and objective system for assessing the extinction risk of species.

“This new evidence is extremely worrying; turtle doves are at risk of disappearing in the wild in our lifetime,” Birdlife Malta conservation manager Nicholas Barbara said, announcing the findings yesterday. Birdlife director Steve Micklewright said the government was now legally bound to consider the change in conservation status when making a decision on next year’s spring hunting season.

The framework regulations, which govern the opening of the spring hunting season, subject of a failed abrogative referendum last April, say the total number of birds that may be hunted must “take into consideration the conservation status of the two species concerned [quail and turle dove] and the maintenance of the population of the species at a satisfactory level”.

Spring hunting is unsustainable. It has to be stopped before it is too late

This was introduced to the law on the European Commission’s request following infringement procedures against Malta in 2010.

The Red List species report for turtle doves lists hunting as one of the main factors behind the decline, along with transformation of agricultural land, changes in agriculture practices and widespread use of chemical herbicides.

It proposes that “restrictions on hunting be introduced and enforced to avoid affecting late breeding birds during spring migration”.

The report also shows that countries linked to Malta on spring migration routes – particularly Austria, Germany and Poland – have seen population declines in recent years.

“In many countries, the hunting of turtle dove is completely banned and Malta is now the only EU country that allows it to be hunted in spring,” Mr Micklewright said.

“This new information confirms more than ever before that spring hunting is unsustainable. It has to be stopped before it is too late.”